


The Rabbit and the Lynx

by 2space_lesbo1



Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: 8?, Fluff, GOD EPISODE 23 DESTROYED ME, I NEED HAPPY TIMES FOR MY BOYS, M/M, Soulmate Aspects, Spoilers up to Episode like uhhh, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings, and will i ever stop writing ash and eiji meeting in aus?, cause yea, i guess idk, soul animal, the answer is no
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-13
Updated: 2018-12-13
Packaged: 2019-09-17 20:22:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16981182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/2space_lesbo1/pseuds/2space_lesbo1
Summary: In the world that Ash lives in, every person's soul is in the form of an animal that follows their owner around. His is a lynx, obviously. A lynx so broken, he doesn't believe it will ever be fixed again. That is, until, a rabbit hops into the room.





	The Rabbit and the Lynx

**Author's Note:**

> HHHHHHHHHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYYYYY EVERYBODY
> 
> can you believe i'm still one my banana fish writing high??? yeah, i can't either lol. we'll see how much longer this lasts, especially with "Spider-man: Into the Spider-Verse" coming out tomorrow. Man i'm so excited to see that.
> 
> anyway, this is another short au one-shot that i couldn't get out of my head, and with the airing of episode 23, i feel like everyone needs some cuteness. cause i sure do lol
> 
> also, i'm probably gonna end up writing a fix-it fic for the ending of banana fish. cause seriously i hate the ending.
> 
> anyway, enough from me for now. please, enjoy:

Growing up, Ash grew used to the lynx that always followed in his footsteps. The cat started off as a small kitten when he was first born, and grows in stride with him throughout the years. As a teenager, it was a young adult, reaching his knee when it stands on all fours, and his thigh on its hind legs. 

It was a beautiful creature, just like Ash was. Its fur was a light blonde, dotted and striped with an amber color. Its eyes were just as deep green as Ash’s were, and it had a dangerous grace to it. Its ears were pointed with tufts of black fur, and Ash would always be reassured when the two white spots on the backs of its ears would flash in the dark. 

This was Ash’s soul. 

Everyone has a soul, and everyone’s soul was some kind of animal that would always follow them around. Depending on their personality and way of life chose the animal that would follow the person their entire life. 

Ash’s just so happened to be a lynx, who he lovingly named Tiger when he was younger. He knows now, as an almost adult, that that was one of the most ridiculous names a lynx could have. 

But Tiger didn't seem to mind it. He would always answer when Ash called out to him, and comfort him if need be. 

Though, of course, depending on a person’s life, their soul could become damaged. If the person went through a hard time, the soul would show this. It would become damaged, and for some, become unrepairable. It was best to always keep your soul close to yourself, or others could take advantage of it. You could, of course, hurt another person by grabbing tightly to their soul. It was a horrible feeling that would spread through the owner of the soul, starting in their before filling every aspect of the person’s being. It made their entire body seize and become immovable. And if the soul was crushed or killed in anyway, then so too did the owner die. 

Ash’s soul has always been taken advantage of. The men would grab tight to Tiger, force to the ground and make Ash come forward. They would squeeze the lynx with no mercy to get what they wanted. Always. 

Ash felt horrible for Tiger. He hated seeing the lynx get thrown around and wounded. 

But they both held strong, even if Tiger was beginning to look irreparable. Ash thought his soul would shatter on its own one day at this rate. 

Until, of course, a small, dark rabbit ran into the room. 

Ash had been in his bar, playing a game of pool with some of his guys. Tiger was sat on the edge of the pool table, watching the balls go every which way, his stub tail twitching side to side. Alex was on the other side of the table, his Great Dane laid on the floor beneath. Ash was winning the game, of course, and Alex was looking stumped. 

And then, there was a slight commotion as multiple men near the front entrance scrambled to move out of the way of a rabbit hopping across the floor. 

The entire gang had had to pause then, confused to see a bunny soul. As far as they all knew, no one there carried a rabbit as a soul. And then the owner quickly followed after, hurriedly gathering the small bunny his arms and holding it to his chest. His eyes- just as dark as the bunny’s fur- were wide, and Ash couldn't help but stare. A taller man with a squirrel wrapped around his neck walked in after, saying something in another language to the shorter boy. 

Ah. The Japanese photographers. 

Skip laughed at both of the Japanese men, his Jack Terrier Russell wagging its tail excitedly, hopping up and down like it were trying to get the bunny’s attention. The bunny, on the other hand, has its large ears up and at attention, swiveling them around as it listens to all of the new sounds. Its eyes are just as wide as its owner’s, but it was looking around just as curiously, too. 

Ash becomes interested instantly, Tiger perking up as the bunny is brought closer. There is no hunger in his eyes though. He is only curious of the new soul. 

He learns later on that Eiji, the younger of the two Japanese, will become a large role in his life. 

____

In Cape Cod, Ash is able to spend some time with Eiji. 

They sit together the top of the hill, the sun sinking in the horizon, the shade of the tree they sat under fading. Ash leaned against the tree trunk, and Eiji was sat nearby. Tiger and Eiji’s soul were close together in between the humans. Tiger was sniffing curiously at the bunny, and the bunny was stockstill, ears down for the first time. 

“After I saw you pole vault, I honestly started thinking your animal should be a bird instead of a bunny,” Ash said his thoughts aloud, an arm draped over his propped knee. 

Eiji hums softly, his own knees pulled to his chest, his arms wrapped around them. Ash glanced up at him, amazed to see the light basically framing his round face. It made him look like an angel, almost. 

“Why is that?” Eiji asked in interested, and the bunny’s ears slowly begin to life. It sniffs back at Tiger now, surprising the lynx. It seems to be hesitantly growing more comfortable around the lynx. 

“Because you flew,” Ash reminded him. 

There's a moment of silence, and Tiger lowers himself so that his stomach was pressed to the grass. The bunny moved a bit closer, its ears held up as it sniffed the lynx’s face up and down. What a strange sight to see the prey willingly approaching its predator. 

“Not really,” Eiji said, lowering a hand to pick at the lush grass. Ash watches him. “I was only in the air for few seconds.” His face turns to a grimace then. “Then I fell.” 

Ash chuckles lightly, and he can just see Eiji’s cheeks redden. “That's true, I guess,” he said, leaning his cheek against his shoulder, hair falling over his eyes. 

“I am glad I saved you, though,” Eiji said, barely above a whisper. Like he were praying. Ash’s eyes widen with his surprise. “I don't know what I would have done if I hadn’t.” 

The bunny places its front paws on the lynx’s lowered head, gaining a small noise of surprise from Tiger. The lynx presses his nose against the bunny’s belly, slowly angling his head backwards to help it climb up. 

There's another comfortable silence. And then Eiji is smiling at Ash’s soul animal, his eyes sparkling with warmth. “Your soul is so pretty,” he said. Ash’s eyes widen further at the blatant words, and his face heats up. A moment later, and Eiji must realize what he'd said, because he ducks his face in embarrassment. “Sorry, I do not know why I said that.” 

Tiger is purring as the bunny nestled into the fur of his neck, both animals’ eyes shutting. The picture of contentment. 

“N- no, it's fine,” Ash said quickly. He rubs at the back of his neck, glancing at the bunny currently laying on his lynx. “Your soul animal is… kind of cute.” 

Eiji is blushing even deeper now, burying his face in between his knees. “Th- thank you,” he stuttered. They fall back into silence, before Eiji speaks once more, peering up through his lashes at Ash. “Does your soul have a name?” 

“Uh, yeah,” Ash said, his embarrassment over the childish name he'd given his lynx clear in his voice. He mutters the next words, “I named him Tiger.” 

Eiji’s eyes are widening, and then he's leaning forward, lips turned up in a mischievous smirk. “You named him, what? I could not hear you,” he said, and if he were anyone else Ash would have already punched him. But he wasn't anyone else, and Ash ducks his head, chin pressing to his chest. 

“Tiger, okay!” Ash exclaimed, and the lynx’s head pops up, disturbing the rabbit. The bunny starts as well, ears darting up, eyes shooting open. “I was four when I named him, okay?” 

The chuckle Ash is rewarded with from Eiji was well worth the embarrassment. Ash smiles warmly. “Did you name yours?” 

“Well, of course,” Eiji replies with a nod of his head. He reaches forward, and scratches the bunny between its ears. This seems to please the bunny greatly. Though, Tiger is looking up and trying to get Eiji to pet him a second later, and Ash can't stop the blush from spreading across his cheeks once more, especially when Eiji laughs at the lynx’s attempts. The older boy then shifts his hand from the bunny to the lynx, lightly running them through the blonde shade of fur. Tiger purrs loudly. Again, if this had been anyone else, Eiji would have already been clawed and on the ground, bleeding out. But this wasn't anyone else, and Tiger leaned into the touch. 

Then, Eiji seems to remember Ash’s question. “I named my bunny Tsukiyo,” he told the American, the foreign word flowing so easily from his tongue. 

Ash tilts his head curiously. “What's that mean?” he asked. 

“It means, ‘moonlit night’,” Eiji said softly, scratching Tiger under the chin. The bunny, Tsukiyo, decided that he'd had enough of his bed moving. He slides down Tiger’s side before hopping towards Ash, and as soon as the bunny lightly jumps on the blonde’s lap, Ash couldn't stop his heart from swelling. The bunny just snuggles up between his legs, eyes shutting with his happiness. 

Meanwhile, Tiger is leaning further into Eiji, who is laughing softly. Ash watches with the same, warm smile. “That's a good name,” he said, hesitantly petting the bunny’s head. Tsukiyo’s nose begins to twitch, and he snuggles further into Ash, ears resting on his back. 

“I think so, too,” Eiji said in agreement, smiling at Ash. “And Tiger fits him, as well.”

Ash couldn’t tell if Eiji was serious, or just saying that to appease him, but he smiles anyway. “I guess it does,” he said.

They stay there together until the sun sets, and until Max calls for them from the house, his German Shepherd attacking Ash with licks to the face. Though, on the way back to the house, Tsukiyo stays in Ash’s arms, and stays there the rest of the day.

**Author's Note:**

> god i needed that lol


End file.
